Being dependend on medicins, I would not want to urge a survival of the fittest in which any medical intervention would be prohibited. However, I would also not like to live in a society where aging is considered a disease which most be stopped at all costs and deteriorating health is seen as a sin. In such a ”brave new world” people who cannot or choose not to ‘improve’ themselves could easily be considered a burden. As a matter of fact, I think this kind of attitude is allready arising.... Having said that, I also think that developments like Harris promotes can and should not be stopped. It would be unnatural and simply impossible to forbid the human mind to explore new possibilities. So,...

Being dependend on medicins, I would not want to urge a survival of the fittest in which any medical intervention would be prohibited. However, I would also not like to live in a society where aging is considered a disease which most be stopped at all costs and deteriorating health is seen as a sin. In such a ”brave new world” people who cannot or choose not to ‘improve’ themselves could easily be considered a burden. As a matter of fact, I think this kind of attitude is allready arising.... Having said that, I also think that developments like Harris promotes can and should not be stopped. It would be unnatural and simply impossible to forbid the human mind to explore new possibilities. So, even though the thought of having ‘eternal’ life doesn’t appeal to me - in ‘heaven’ nor on earh - I wish those that choose to try to live as long as possible a lot of luck and wisdom. I wonder how people envision their lifes at for example the age of 400. Do they see themselves having a carreer until the age of 350 or do they think they can still retire when they’re 65? Are they convinced they can cope with the (technological, economical) changes which will occur over time? How do they prepare for such a long life?...

A couple of years ago, I came up with a totally reverse solution for the quest for health and wealth among humans. I envisioned a society in which everybody was granted fullfillment of their basic needs (housing, health care, education). People would have good working conditions, get a fair payceck and they would not have to work until their bodies would give up on them, but be able to retire at the age of 55. They then would receive a decent pension with which they could maintain their lifestyle. It all sounds to good to be true, you might think. How are we going to pay for all of this? Well, this is the clue: in western society health care costs in general rise immensely once people get ov...

A couple of years ago, I came up with a totally reverse solution for the quest for health and wealth among humans. I envisioned a society in which everybody was granted fullfillment of their basic needs (housing, health care, education). People would have good working conditions, get a fair payceck and they would not have to work until their bodies would give up on them, but be able to retire at the age of 55. They then would receive a decent pension with which they could maintain their lifestyle. It all sounds to good to be true, you might think. How are we going to pay for all of this? Well, this is the clue: in western society health care costs in general rise immensely once people get over the age of 80. If everybody would get as old as medicin would enable them, the costs would go through the roof. We simply can’t afford to have all people living on. Further we probably would not have enough people to take care of those in need. Personally, Therefore my solution would be that, having had full acces to a fulfilled life up till the age of 80, the only constraint that would have to be made in order ot keep ‘the system’ going, is that at your 80‘th birthday, you’d go see the doctor. Your last birthday present would be acces to eternal sleep....
I’m curious to read your response to this ‘proposal’.

Savi010: When life extension is involved, the basic and critical premise is that a very good health condition is part of the deal. There is no sense to extend a life ridden with disease and disability. Life extension means also health extension beyond the standards available to us today. I am sorry to know that your health condition is not optimal, but surely you can imagine getting healthy someday, and once the burden of health condition is relieved, it seems only natural that one would like to live on. As to your suggestion, limiting our life span will never work, at least not in the way you suggest. Nevertheless I entirely agree that even when we will be able to live much longer, the opti...

Savi010: When life extension is involved, the basic and critical premise is that a very good health condition is part of the deal. There is no sense to extend a life ridden with disease and disability. Life extension means also health extension beyond the standards available to us today. I am sorry to know that your health condition is not optimal, but surely you can imagine getting healthy someday, and once the burden of health condition is relieved, it seems only natural that one would like to live on. As to your suggestion, limiting our life span will never work, at least not in the way you suggest. Nevertheless I entirely agree that even when we will be able to live much longer, the option to end one's life should be given to those who wish to, given that such a decision is not a result of a crisis, desperation and such but rather a healthy free and dignified choice. I believe it can work.